Sunday, May 4, 2008

Penny Glass Girl Finally Begins a Blog!

I have been making art my entire life, but fell in love with glass about six years ago. I began selling to friends and family, then friends of friends, then family of friends, then to retail, then online...before I knew it I had started to build a small but fullfilling business that I could work into my full-time parent schedule.

It all began when....
My husband dragged me to a stained glass class so that we could have an activity only adults could do after the birth of our first child. He quickly became the "teacher's pet" as his mechanical skill was far superior, but after many, many late nights I fell in love - with glass!

Light drives me....
I love the way light can pass through glass and totally transform it. My sons, although only seven and three, already marvel at my creations and beg me to put them up to a window to view them. I love that I have instilled this appreciation for glass, and all its reflective qualities, in them at such a young age.

I just had to start melting stuff...
About a year ago, I was no longer content to make cold glass and was inspired by a local lampwork class. After an attempt at making lampwork beads however, I realized that this was not for me. While at the studio, I inquired about glass fusing, and decided to dive right in. I bought a kiln, all the supplies and decided that I could teach myself. I was amazed when my first, second, then third attempts were successful - again I fell deeper in love. Like most relationships, all it takes is a little background research and many sleepless nights!

Glass has given me the ability to take all the colours and shapes floating around my head and translate them into art, while challenging my technical abilities. When I'm in my studio I get to use the Parts of myu brain that were dusty from parenting duties and give me more to pass on to my kids, a deep appreciation of an age old artform and their mother - the glass artist.

www.pennyglassgirl.etsy.com

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